This year marks the 10th anniversary of the World Day for Decent Work (WDDW), which will fall on 7 October. Millions of people have taken part in WDDW events since 2008, and this year will also be a day for global mobilisation : all the trade unions in the world will stand up for decent work. Decent work must be at the centre of government actions to bring back economic growth and build a new global economy that puts people first. No action is too big or too small for the World Day for Decent Work - i.e. a table discussion, a huge demonstration, a protest letter, a flash mob action or something completely different. This year, the global focus is on the world struggle for living minimum wages and a pay rise for all workers. Governments should heed the call from working women and men for decent wages, safe and secure jobs, and an end to greedy corporations setting the rules of the economy. This means ensuring that minimum wage-floors must be enough to ensure a decent standard of living, and that all workers must have the right to join a union and bargain collectively.

This year, October 7 falls on a Saturday, which means that some organisations may decide to hold events during the week before or after.

Whatever topics your organisation chooses for the World Day for Decent Work activities, please keep us informed by sending your information to wddw@ituc-csi.org. If you have any questions, please also email to this address.

We will shortly provide further updates on materials you can use for the World Day, social media and website information, including examples of activities planned by different organisations.

On a video message , ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder insists “that governments make a decisive and fundamental change in direction: away from the policies which have caused the deepest recession in 70 years, allowing a small minority to amass vast wealth at the expense of working people’s jobs, security and incomes, while hundreds of millions of people remain locked in absolute poverty.”

Trade unions in more than 100 countries, from Fiji across the globe to Alaska, gathered to demand change in the world economy, as the financial crisis threatens the livelihoods of millions upon millions of people worldwide.